SLIPPERY ROCK - There's nothing like home cooking.

At Slippery Rock University, the same can be said about running backs.

SRU junior Josh Kniess had one of the most productive seasons of any back in the program's history in 2004, scoring 17 touchdowns, rushing for 1,183 yards and returning punts for 414 yards.

"And he's from right across the street," SRU coach George Mihalik said, making reference to Slippery Rock High School. "That's the best part."

If Kniess rushes for 1,677 yards next season, he will leave The Rock as its career leader in rushing yards, all-purpose yards and single-season rushing yards.

Don't put it past him.

"I know all about improving," Kniess said. "I went from running for 1,200 yards as a junior in high school to almost 2,200 yards my senior year.

"You never know what can happen. You don't put limits on yourself."

Kniess rushed for 2,172 yards and scored 30 touchdowns his senior year in high school. He'll enter the 2005 season needing 24 touchdowns to break Stan Kennedy's SRU career record of 53.

Lamonte Coleman owns The Rock's single-season rushing record of 1,601 yards.

"Who knows what Josh is capable of?" Mihalik said. "I said this past preseason he had a good shot at 1,000 yards. He made himself stronger and more durable during the off-season.

"He was up here all summer working out. I'm just glad we're getting him back next year.

"He's a north-south runner, a slasher who can break tackles - and he can run away from people," Mihalik added.

The same can be said of his punt-returning style.

Kniess returned three punts for touchdowns this season and averaged 18.8 yards per return. Only Brandon Hussey of Winston-Salem (N.C.) with a 23.5-yard average, Nik Lewis of Southern Arkansas (21.4) and Brent Grimes of Shippensburg (19.3) averaged more in Division II football.

Kniess was named first team All-PSAC West as a return specialist and was tapped for the second-team offense as a running back."What makes him so dangerous is he fields punts that most return guys let drop," Clarion coach Malen Luke said. "Next thing you know he's 20 yards downfield running with the ball.""He's fearless," Mihalik said. "Josh has a knack of making the first guy miss. That's the key to being a good punt returner."Kniess said he let almost every punt drop to the ground when serving as a punt returner in high school."That's when I learned that if you don't catch the ball, they don't let you stand back there," he said.Kniess averaged 22.6 carries per game this season, which was nine more carries per game than his sophomore year, when he rushed for a team-leading 627 yards."He was the big gun in George's offense and he fired him quite a bit against us," Luke said.Kniess had 30 carries for 111 yards in SRU's 31-14 season-ending win over Clarion last Saturday. He carried the ball on every play during consecutive scoring drives of 46 and 8 yards in the third quarter.Kniess returned a punt 43 yards to set up the latter scoring march."I like when I'm carrying the ball that often," he said. "I get into a rhythm and I think the offensive line does, too."We talk to each other. They ask me what I'm seeing and I ask them. We work together that way."As for climbing the SRU record charts, Kniess was concerned about one man: longtime Slippery Rock High track and field coach and former SRU running back Mike Kish."When I told him I was coming here, he told me his name was still in the record books (at SRU)," Kniess said. "I wanted to pass him up."I know Coach Kish really well. I had to do that much."Kniess passed Kish to move into 10th place on The Rock's career rushing list this year."Josh is our double-threat as a running back and a punt returner," Mihalik said. "He's been an amazing performer."One whose final act is yet to come.